On Saturday 17 patriotic Americans came out to brave an extremely wet and muddy range to learn marksmanship and a small bit of their shared extraordinary heritage. The conditions were challenging but these good folks rose to the challenge and showed true grit and determination as the day progressed. After setting the stage, FLawyer took us back to the early hours of April 19, 1775 with a telling of the First Strike. Our troopers were wet and muddy before the firing even began and with the initial Hits Count target showing "room for improvement", we got down to business. Sling use and the prone position were developed and the vital Six Steps were incorporated. A laser equipped rifle helped drive home the concept of Natural Point of Aim and before long the first group of the day was delivered on target. The improvements between the Redcoat target and this group were amazing. In short order we were ready to adjust sights using IMC and the shooting continued to improve greatly. At lunchtime Old Dominion Iron, a border raider from Virginia, delivered a solid and highly entertaining Second Strike and people began to realize the choices and sacrifices of the Patriots of 1775. A brisk pace continued with the introduction of Rifleman Cadence, reloads, transitions, and the addition of seated and standing positions. During a much needed break, Heavyduty77 told "the rest of the story" with the Third Strike and the beginning of the long bloody struggle for independence. Although by the end of the day on Saturday no riflemen scores had been revealed on our single AQT, the improvements were outstanding and it was abundantly clear that there was real talent in this crowd and that it was only a matter of time.
The rain, which had threatened all day Saturday, returned on Saturday night making for even sloppier conditions on Sunday morning. But every single shooter returned and was ready for more! Despite still being a muddy mess on the range the skies had cleared and it was a pretty nice day. By the end of the day we had four Riflemen who clearly knew what they were about. Congratulations to everyone who came out and exercised their Second Amendment rights. Many kudos to our talented and dedicated instructors who made it happen. You guys rock!
Dry fire—perfectly—with focus and persistence and every single one of you will become members of the exclusive Riflemen's club. I can't wait to welcome you at the next Appleseed!
At least a few photos were taken and if you have any, please share them with us. I hope to be posting a few in the next few days. In the meantime, keep your powder dry and may your aim be true.
Sounds like a great event. Nothing like shooting in the rain/mud :bow:
congrats to all those who scored rifleman and to those who made lots of progress!
This was not a group of mere "sunshine patriots". Both young and old exhibited rare determination yielding real improvements. It's especially rewarding to see this in all of our young patriots" who will be carrying on the banner of Liberty. Radiant smiles thru the mud......priceless!
Free to view in my Dropbox. You do NOT have to sign up (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/impfitvsa3ujcsjfwzisx/AS-POST-OCT-11-12-2025-Bunnell.pdf?rlkey=gi7pxyfy1899o6tq70lgb0qxq&st=mtbox5he&dl=0)